The Battle of Westport, October 21-23, 1864

The Battle of Westport, October 21-23, 1864. . , The Battle , When Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price entered Jackson County, he commanded an army of around 12,000 troopers. He had amassed a train of around 500 wagons loaded with plunder and war supplies. As Price had marched across Missouri, around 3,000 volunteers had joined him to fight for the Confederacy. Price needed to get the wagons and recruits back to Arkansas safe and sound., (caption) Sterling Price . Samuel R. Curtis . Alfred Pleasonton, Standing in his way was an army of around 3,000 veteran cavalrymen and 16,000 newly mustered Kansas State Militia under the command of Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis. In hot pursuit behind Price was a cavalry division around 3,500 strong under the command of Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton., These three armies, one Confederate and two Union, clashed for three days over an area covering 35 square miles. By 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 23, the Confederates were defeated and retreating south. The two Union forces joined together and set off in pursuit of the retreating Confederates the next day., November Elections and Emancipation , One of Sterling Price's goals when he invaded Missouri in the fall of 1864 was to disrupt the November elections. Sixteen days after Price's Westport defeat, Missouri overwhelmingly elected a Republican governor and delegates to a state convention that would consider the emancipation of Missouri's slaves. Missouri's radical Unionists were firmly in control of the state government. Eighty days after the Confederate defeat at Westport, the Missouri State Convention abolished slavery in Missouri and Governor Thomas C. Fletcher issued an Ordinance Abolishing Slavery in Missouri on January 11, 1865., This was 20 days before Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment which was ratified in December 1865 and abolished slavery nationwide., (caption) Thomas C. Fletcher, 2d Lt. Patrick Henry Minor and Douglas's Battery , On June 30, 1864, US Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton authorized General Curtis to raise an artillery battery of African Americans with African Americans as officers. On July 2, Curtis ordered Maj. Robert H. Hunt to recruit, organize, and train an African American battery. Major Hunt appointed William D. Matthews and Patrick H. Minor, two prominent members of the African American community, as recruiting officers., On October 16, 1864, Hunt ordered the Independent Battery, U.S. Colored Light Artillery into service to go against Price's Confederates. One section (two 10-pdr Parrott rifles) under the command of 2d Lt. Patrick H. Minor moved to the front and deployed in combat on October 22 and 23. This was the first African American unit officered by an African American to fight in combat during the American Civil War., (caption) Robert H. Hunt . William D. Matthews , Independent Battery, U.S. Colored Light Artillery, aka Douglas's Battery, (1) . 10/20-Confederate Army of Missouri bivouacs on Fire Creek Prairie east of the Little Blue River. , (2) . 10/21-Battle of the Little Blue River results in a Confederate victory and Union forces fall back to Big Blue River. , (3) . 10/22- Battle of the Big Blue: Confederates fake an attack at the main crossing of the Big Blue River between Independence and Westport. , (4) . 10/22-Battle of the Big Blue: Confederates attack and defeat Union defenders at Byram's Ford on the Big Blue. Confederates now control Byram's Ford. , (5) . 10/22-Mockbee Farm: Confederate cavalry attacks and overwhelms the 2d Kansas State Militia to gain control of Russell's Ford on the Big Blue River. , (6) . 10/22-Second Battle of Independence: Union cavalry attacks and defeats the Confederate rear guard who then fall back to Byram's Ford. , (7) . 10/23-Battle of Brush Creek: Union attacks and defeats the Confederates south of Brush Creek. Confederates retreat south. , (8) . 10/23-Battle of Big Blue: Union cavalry attacks and defeats Confederates defending Byram's Ford. Confederates retreat south. , (9) . 10/23-Pursuit of Wagon Train: Union cavalry threatens Confederate wagon train between Hickman Mills and New Santa Fe. Wagon train escapes. , (10) . 10/23-Around 2:00 p.m. with Confederates in full retreat, the Union commanders meet to discuss next steps. , (11) . 10/23-By dark the Federal pursuit has ended and the Confederates bivouac south of New Santa Fe along the Middle Fork of the Grand River., Copyright 2024 Monnett Battle of Westport Fund. Financial support provided by Freedom's Frontier and the Monnett Battle of Westport Fund.